Reviews

Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis Hall

jess_the_science_beast's review

5.0

I can already feel Sand and Ruin and Gold snaking tendrils through my brain, afflicting me with its beauty and tragedy in strange and wondrous ways.

As a reader, I am eternally grateful. As an author, I am incredibly envious.

Don’t read this story if you’re looking for romance. Read it and appreciate it for what it is: a pseudo-modern fairytale which harkens back to days of yore, when stories were meant to say something about us rather than just entertaining us.

This story is going to haunt me for a long time to come.

thelittledeath's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

faithd's review

4.0

4 stars

Really beautiful writing and a very creative story - it's not the usual depiction of merfolk at all. Also very weird (and I love weird!) with a non-traditional HEA. The reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because it reminded me a lot of the documentary Blackfish, and, I can't really put my finger on why...but I didn't like how similar the merfolk were to the orcas in Blackfish. Also, because the book had me thinking about orcas, the ending brought to mind

Spoiler

Free Willy

.

I'm not trying to say this is unoriginal - on the contrary, it is VERY original and creative - it just, I guess, didn't work for me on some levels because it got me into a weird head space and I felt pulled out of the magical world that is created in this story. This is (I'm pretty sure) a ME issue. Overall, SARAG is thought provoking, short, and beautiful (and FREE) and so definitely worth reading!

norassick's review

3.0

Color me intrigued i guess.

8cht's review

5.0

This is the book the Shape of Water should be.

ariesofblue's review

4.0

I absolutely loved this short story! It was sp heartbreackingly beautiful. Alexis Hall has such a wonderful way with words.

iam's review

5.0

Breathtaking, atmospheric and deeply melancholic short story about an unnamed circus employee and the Mer he trains.
I loved the concept, and could totally have read a full book in this setting, though it worked perfectly as a short story told in retrospect by an unreliable narrator. Many questions remained unanswered and they left me itching for more and a little disatisfied, but I still loved this story at its core.
The entire world building from the mild scifi touches to the merpeople and how they and humans interact was so fascinating and mesmerizing I absolutely devoured this read.

Content warnings include: animal (?) abuse, circus setting, running away from home, genetic engineering, drowning, near death, separation of mother and child, violence.

taramisu's review

5.0

This is a short story, so impeccably written as to make your heart ache and bleed.

alexkmorland's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Bellissima e struggente fiaba su un addestratore di sirene e un sirenetto che gli fa capire che lui e la sua gente non sono animali da circo 💔
I miei feels sono da tutte le parti, help!

bookforestsprite's review

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Beautiful evocative and vivid language!